Briton Jamie Harron faces jail for touching man in Dubai bar

A British man is facing three years in jail in Dubai after touching another man in a bar.

Jamie Harron's legal team claim he briefly made contact with the man to avoid spilling a drink on him.

The incident led to him being arrested for public indecency.

The 27-year-old electrician, from Stirling, has been stuck in the UAE since July after his passport was confiscated by authorities.

He was initially locked up in Al Barsha prison for five days before being released on bail.

Since then he has reportedly been forced to spend more than £30,000 in expenses and legal fees.

The chief executive of Detained in Dubai, Radha Stirling, said: "It is quite outrageous that he has been held in the country for so long already.

"This is another example of how vulnerable tourists are to arrest and detention in Dubai and at how drawn out and disorganised legal proceedings are."

As well as public indecency, Mr Harron is also facing a second charge relating to the drinking of alcohol.

He was arrested while spending an evening at the Rock Bottom Bar.

He is said to have held a hand in front of himself to prevent his drink spilling on anyone as he walked through the busy bar.

In the process he "touched a man on his hip to avoid impact", before moving on and sitting down at a table with a friend.

Detained in Dubai say it was only then that the man who had been touched seemed aggravated.

He was arrested by police around 20 to 30 minutes later, his representatives say.

Ms Stirling says she has spoken to Mr Harron recently and that he is under "immense pressure and stress".

"He was expecting to appear in court this Sunday, but the court moved the date without telling him or his lawyer," she said.

"This led to a sentence of 30 days' imprisonment for failing to present himself at the hearing."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We have been in contact with a British man following his arrest in Dubai in July. We are providing consular assistance."